'immmm^-' 




NEWiJER^EY 



/A' THIS PUBLICATIOX WILL BE FOUND A COMPLETE 
ANT> SATISFACTORY ANSfVETl TO THE MOST PER- 
PLEXING OF ALL THE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS THAT 
CONFRONT THOSE DOING BUSINESS IN NEW YORK, 
TO-DAY: IVHETiE ARE WE TO LIVE, "BRING UP OUR 
CHILDREN, AND MAKE OUR HOME ? 



PRESS OF 

THOMSON & CO. 

NEW YORK 




BROOK HOHOKUS (NEAR THE GOLF CH'b) 



RIDGEWOOD 

NEW JERSEY 

AND WHY 



By henry p. PHELPS 

.^uthor of "Players of a Century," "Stage History of Hamlet, 
"Under the Turquoise Sky," Etc., Etc. 



SECOND EDITION 



"Home-building should lie just as much a matter-of-course 
^vith Human Beings as Nest-Building is with Robins." 



COPYRIGHT BY 

THE RIDGEVVOOB BOARD OF I RADE, RIDGEWOOD, N. J, 

1910 



1 



^^^^T 



N writing- this booklet it has been assumed that upon cer- 
tain propositions no argument is necessary. For instance : 



A Brook is preferable to a Gutter; 

The Song of Birds to the Roar of the Elevated 

Railroad ; 
The Fragrance of a Flower to the Smell of a 

Sewer ; 
The Sunshine of the Meadow to the Gloom of 

the Subway ; 
A Walk in your own Garden to Climbing your 

Landlord's Stairs. 



For the purposes of a Real Home, a zvliolc house, 
windows on four (4) sides, nobody over your 
head, nobody under your feet, 
Is to be preferred 
To any arrangement of "flats" or apartmients, 
of which the manifest object is to stow away 
in the smallest possible space the greatest 
possible number of human beings. 



For a children's play-ground, blue-stone and as- 
phalt are no improvement upon the green- 
grassed bosom of Old Mother Earth ; 

Nor is the companionship of street urchins more 
beneficial to the rising generation than the 
influence of birds and flowers and household 
pets. 



It was not the Original Intention that it should 
be necessary before .bridging children into the 
world to obtain consfijt of the landlord ; or 
that practical and ''permanent dispossession 
should follow obedience to the First 
Command. 



^CI.A25G844 



/^^^^ AKING for granted that the reader has already dis- 
/ 1 covered the serious difficulty, if not utter im- 

^^^^ possibility, of living in comfort on a moderate 
income in the city of New York, let us tell you 
about Ridgewood — not Ridgeway, nor Ridgefield, nor Ridge- 
wood over on Long Island, nor any other place of the same, 
or similar name, but Ridgewood, Bergen County, New 
Jersey. 

And we are not going to use the flowery language or 
glittering generalities com- 
mon to many pamphlets is- 
sued by land improvement 
companies and real estate 
boomers ; for this is the 
utterance of the Ridgewood 
Board of Trade, made up 
of conservative and respon- 
sible business men who de- 
sire to present certain rea- 
sons — not mere assertions 
— why Ridgewood is to hv 
preferred instead of vari- 
ous other localities to which 
your attention may b e 
called — giving just the defi- 
nite information that you 
would expect from a friend 
thoroughly acquainted with 
the facts, of whom you 
asked advice in relation to 
selecting a place for a Home in the vichiity of New York. 
That friend, if he ivcre a friend, and if he zvcre thoroughly 
acquainted with all the facts, would tell you that, hundreds of 
seductive advertisements to the contrary notwithstanding, a 
wise, if unassisted, choice in this matter is by no means easy. 
He would say, in the first place, that no matter how attractive 
the surroundings, n(^ locality for a Home should be considered 




[51 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

for a moment that was not Healthful. For the family, for 
the children, for the bread-winner himself, health should be 
the first, the paramount consideration. And if your friend 
should "mention names"'^ — which we certainly shall not do — 
he would tell you of localities in the vicinity of New York 
where the troubles arising from malaria are almost a matter- 
of-course; of others, where to ask persons with a predisposi- 
tion to throat and bronchial difficulties to permanently reside 
is "tempting- fate" ; and of others — and they are legion — where 
the prevalence of mosquitoes is equivalent to disease ; and he 
would sum up by saying, finally, that — 

In Order to get safely outside 
the Malarial, the Mosquito, and 
the Salt Air Belts which encircle 
the Metropolis, one must go at 
least Twenty Miles away from 
the New York City Hall! 

With this condition in view, and the fact that next in im- 
portance to healthfuhiess is accessibility, the problem grows 
complicated. The Garden of Eden would be no place to live 
for a man doing business in New York — not so much on ac- 
count of snakes^ but because it is too far, by time measure- 
ment, from Broadway. His home must be where he can get 
to it easily and quickly ; otherwise the bi-daily trip becomes 
irksome and fatiguing. And transportation should not be 
expensive. 

Pleasant surroundings are of course, desirable ; as are 
adequate school and church facilities, agreeable social rela- 
tions, and good neighl^ors. With the great majority, it is 
essential also that real estate be not too high-priced. 

Bearing these several specifications in mind, let us see how 
nearly Ridgewood comes to filling the bill. 

[6] 



R I D G E W D 



New Jersey 



Ridgewood is situated in Northern New 
notation Jersey, on the main line of the Erie Railroad, 

acccssifailitp ^^-^ miles beyond Paterson, tvvent^y-two miles 
from New York. It is also the western ter- 
minus of the Bergen County Railroad, acquired by the Erie 
in 1881, and which, leaving the main line at Rutherford, 
avoids the Passaic River and shortens the distance slightly. 
Its chief advantage to Ridgewood is that it gives us four 
tracks to the city, and betters the train service materially, 
there being thirty trains a day each way, one making the 



... 5 . ■ ■ ■ 

V 






■■■ji^' ' umimi^ ^ 



ENTRANCE TO KATHAWOOD PARK 



time in the morning to Jersey City in 41 minutes, and one in 
the afternoon from Jersey City to Ridgewood in 33 minutes. 
The schedule time of other trains between Ridgewood and 
Jersey City, is from 50 to GO minutes. Trains leave the Erie 
station in Jersey City via the undcr-river route, for the Ter- 
minal Building (down town) every 2^^ minutes or less; for 
83d street and 6th avenue (up town) every 5 minutes or less. 
Coming to Ridgewood 11 minutes must be allowed for train 
connection from the Terminal Building; 17 minutes from 6th 
avenue. 

[8] 



RiDGEwooD — New Jersey 

The commutation — flat rate — is $6.35 per 
Jloto Kate of month (sixty rides), or a trifle less than half 
a cent a mile (.00483). This includes ferriage 
via Chamhers or 23d street. 

Right liere is the place to say a word for 
siiprrioritp ^ijg j?!-}^ service. No one road in the country 
©rif iSrrbicc has been so persistently slandered by cartoon 
and paragraph. To such an extent has this 
been carried that even ridicule itself has been made ridiculous. 
And where this happens a speedy reversal of public opinion 
usually follows. As a matter of fact, the Erie, so far as its 
suburban service, and particularly its main line service is 
concerned, is one of the best conducted roads entering or 
approaching New York. At vast expense it has just removed 
the one natural obstacle to prompt, safe and pleasant opera- 
tion, in opening a new four track passage through Bergen 
hill, forever abolishing the darkness, smoke and gas of the 
original mile-long tunnel; its under-river connection direct 
to either the Terminal Building or 6th avenue and 23d street 
is swift, frequent and satisfactory, obviating all former ob- 
jections caused by ice or fog, and making Ridgewood as easily, 
and more pleasantly accessible than very many sections of the 
Greater city. In simple justice both to the Erie and to Ridge- 
wood, it should be known to all who are thinking of making 
their home here, that the people of this village generally 
not only regard the service of the Erie as satisfactory, but as 
an important factor in making our place a desirable residence 
for those doing business in New York. 

However, we are not, as heretofore, to be 
/igorth Ifcrscp dependent upon one method of getting to and 
(JTompan/ "^' from New York. Before this edition is fully 
distributed, and perhaps before May 1, 1910, 
the cars of the North Jersey Rapid Transit company will be 
in operation through what is about the center of Ridgewood, 

[9] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

from Waldwick to Warren Point, making direct connection 
to Paterson, Hackensack; and to New York, at 130th street. 
At present writing" the new road is nearly completed. 

Coming by way of the main line of the Erie, 
^opoijrapbg the first glimpse of Ridgewood creates a de- 
apncarantc cidedly favorable impression. For the first time 
since leaving New York one seems to have 
reached the "real," the unobjectionable country. The mos- 
quito-breeding meadows, the malodorous Passaic River, the 
factories, and workshops, and foundries, the tenement houses 
and all other city sights and city smells are finally behind us. 
We have reached what for many years has been a land of 
gardens, farms, and orchards. 

Ridgewood lies on both sides the tracks, and when within 
a mile or so of the station, the western district, in particular, 
shows up very handsomely, being mostly on the uplands, form- 
ing what may be called the "foothills" of the Ramapo Moun- 
tains. 

Here in full view, lying so as to receive the 
KatftataooH f^^.^^ beams of the morning sun as it peeps over 
the Palisades and shines across the intervening- 
valleys, is Kathawood Park, first of the regularly organized 
development projects of which now there are a number. It 
is situated south of Godwin avenue, from which it has a 
handsome entrance, and enjoys proximity to the Midland 
Park station of the Susquehanna & Western Railroad, be- 
sides being only 10 or 15 minutes' walk from the Ridgewood 
station. The Park now contains some 25 residences, all of 
which are in high favor with their owners, because of pleas- 
ant surroundings, and desirable character of the neighbor- 
hood. Just south of Kathawood, and formerly part of that 
property, is Lincoln Park to which a similar description 
applies. 

[II] 



RiDGEwooD — New Jersey 



Ibeigftts" 



That part of Ridgewood west of the Erie 
tracks inchides what is popularly and appro- 
priately known as "The Heights," a section 
which only 13 or 15 years ago was looked upon simply as a 
hill covered with wood and underbrush, the whole of which 
could probably have been bought for the price of one or two 
plots there to-day. The territory is now largely occupied by 




RESIDENCE IN LINCOLN PARK 



handsome cottages and villas and the high ground, the fine 
views, and the deservedly high reputation of the property 
combine to make it very desirable. 



MJastfna 



On the beautifully wooded western slope of 
the Heights section, is Wastena Park of about 
35 acres, traversed by winding roads, and 
adorned with natural growth forest trees. Although develop- 
ment was only begun here in 1909, some 800 feet of macadam 

[12] 




WASTENA PARK 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

have been laid, water, gas, electricity and tele])hoiie have been 
brought in, and 12 houses erected, all of which will be oc- 
cupied as soon as entirely finished. Included in the plan to 
make this an exceptionally attractive section, a plot 250 feet 
square has been reserved for a centrally located clubhouse 
for the use of residents of the park, and which it is proposed, 
if thought best, to distinguish by certain co-operative features 
tending to the happy solution of what are sometimes perplex- 
ing house-keeping problems. 

Just west of Heights Road, in the heart of 
^crracf anU ^^^^ Heights section, and under protection of 
aaHooaianti the "Heights Association" is a heavily wooded 

property of fifteen acres known as Heights 
Terrace and Woodland Terrace, one of the very latest de- 
velopments to be undertaken with taste and enterprise. It is 
all highly restricted to fine private dwellings of which five were 
erected in 1909. It offers almost the seclusion of a forest 
within eight minutes' walk of the Ridgewood station. (See 
page 20.) 

The eastern part of the village, although not 
(East of tl)e ''^ conspicuous on first approach by railroad, has 
©ric ^rac&s many advantages and attractions of its own, 

making the question, which side of the tracks 
is most desirable as a place of residence simply a matter of 
opinion, the wide range of choice being one of the most in- 
teresting features of the place. At present, and probably for 
a long time to come, the principal business of the village is, 
and will be done on the east side; the churches are on that 
side and all the schools but one. During the past three years 
the growth has been quite equally divided. Many houses 
have been built nearly a mile east of the station. 

Quite a notable development on the east side 

^"f''''^' is that of Prospect Park on the southerly line 

of the village, but at present in the borough of 

[14] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

Glen Rock. It consists of 30 acres bordering on Prospect 
street, some 12 minutes' walk from the Erie station, and in- 
cludes one of the handsomest beech groves to be found in 
Bergen county. It is also on high ground, with views of the 
PaHsades, and of the Metropolitan building in New York. 
The streets have been made to follow the natural formation 
of the terraces, and charming locations have resulted. De- 
velopment begun in 1907, now numbers 26 houses with all 
improvements, inside and out. (See page 28.) 

This is another tract of about six acres, which 
roa'^^""^ is undergoing development, just outside the vil- 

lage lines, in the borough of Glen Rock. Some 
second growth timber still remains on the ground, which has 
a fine situation with good natural drainage assured from the 
lay of the land, and a pleasant prospect of the line of the rail- 
road towards Paterson. The principal street which parallels 
Highwood avenue and at the north end terminates at High 
street, is laid out on the lines recommended by Mr. Robinson 
in his report on beautifying Ridgewood, affording ample space 
for trees and grass on either side of the walks. 

Another east side development at present 
Ibarrison projected onlv, but more than reasonably cer- 

DEbdopmcnt ^^^'^ ^^ speedy materialization, is on Harrison 
avenue, near the new school, and trolly station ; 
some 50 acres of fine sandy soil, with an expanse of view that 
will astonish those who have never visited it. 

The checker-board regularity and prosaic 
fffflt^""^ sameness of many villages are entirely lacking. 

The land dips and curves — here only a gentle 
eminence, there a commanding, tree-crowned height overlook- 
ing almost the entire county, and from whence on clear days 
are visible the spires of half a dozen cities, and at night 

"Shining in the distance, 
The Lights o' Gotham lie." 

[i6] 



RiDGEwooD — New Jersey 

Less than half a mile east of the station the land for quite 
a distance is apparently almost a level plain. Elsewhere there 
are shady dells, sheltered nooks ; the clear- watered brook 
Hohokns, and farther on, the somewhat larger stream which 
gives to this part of the country the name of the Saddle River 
Valley. In short, throughout the whole domain of Ridge- 
wood the dominant and distinguishing characteristic is varied 
picturesqueness. Nowhere within a hundred miles of New 
York City has Nature herself more strikingly or emphaticallv 
indicated — 

"This is the Place to Live!" 



That part of Ridgewood lying north of 
K?flaftoDoti Cameron Lane and west of the railroad is now 
known as Upper Ridgewood, a section part of 
which is undergoing very radical development from pasture 
and woodland into a model residential neighborhood. Its 
altitude, unsurpassed views, and uncontaminated atmosphere 
are supplemented by proximity to the new railroad station 
(Hohokus) that leaves little to be desired. The public water 
supply is from the new wells of the Bergen Aqueduct Com- 
pany, at Wortendyke. Although active development was not 
begun till 1907, there are now 25 houses in Upper Ridgewood, 
a number which will at least be doubled before the end of 
1910. 

The new and handsome rubble structure which the Erie 
has built to take the place of the old Underclifif station, al- 
though standing within the borough of Hohokus, and called 
by that name, is largely used by residents of Ridg'ewood living 
north of Harrison avenue and Cameron Lane, and the waiting 
shed on the west side is actually in this village. The situation, 
with the Cliff on one hand and the Glen on the other, is per- 
haps, the most picturesque of that of any station in Erie 
suburban territory, and a large surrounding growth is pre- 
dicted. 

[i8] 



Ridge WOOD 



New Jersey 




Another new development in this vicinity 
known as Ehnwood, althoug-h within Hohokus 
borough, is one in which Ridgewood residents are largely 
interested. It 
consists of 
al)out 60 acres 
and presents 
m any attrac- 
tions of plan, 
both of lay-out 
and finance, 
and is particu- 
larly conveni- 
ent to the Erie 
and the new 
electric road. 
A lake and the 

r /'-\ 1 1 ON HEIGHTS TERRACE I SHE PAGE I4) 

famous Old 

Elm, long a land-mark on Franklin Turnpike, are special 

features of interest. 

Both hillside and valley included elsewhere 
in the borough of Hohokus are admirably 

adapted for 
home building, 
m any of the 
views being of 
special charm 
and beauty. 
Not being a 
part of Ridge- 
wood, how- 
ever, they do 
not fall strictly 
within the 
scope of this 



&ot)o'kus 




ON HEIGHTS TERRACE (SEE PAGE I4) 



[20] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

publication. But just as there is no tang^ible line marking; the 
boundary between the two places, so there is no dividing- line in 
their interests. What benefits one will help the other, and the 
new school, new sidewalks, and other public improvements re- 
cently made in and l:)y Hohokus indicate that she is inspired by 
the same spirit that is bring^ing; Ridg-ewood so rapidly to the 
front, and that she is destined to enudate our g-rowth and 
share in our prosperity. 

Nearly forty years ago physicians in New 
Co aaHbat York and Brooklyn — notably Dr. Willard Parker 
ffito'^'^^t"^ — began recommending this particular locality to 
•Start patients, for whom the harshness and humidity 

of the salt air were unsuited, as being not only 
unobjectionable on that account, but exceptionally free from 
malaria. The breezes which sweep over the Paramus High- 
lands and across the Paramus Plains, as the two sections of 
Ridgewood were then called, had long been known to be dry 
and bracing", and also free from taint. Unquestionably, there- 
fore, Ridgewood owes its start as a commuting community to 
its reputation for salubrity ; and it is a notable and most sug- 
gestive confirmation of this theory, that a large percentage of 
its residents to-day became such originally because they could 
not endure the air of Brooklyn. 

Understand, no claim is made of magical properties or any- 
thing unreasonable for Ridgewood atmosphere. It is not that 
of Colorado, nor of the Adirondacks. The village does not 
pose as a "health resort," or a consumptives' camp. But 

It IS twenty miles from the ocean; 

Its soil is porous; 

There are no standing bodies of water; 

The drainage, natural and otherwise, is good; 

The elevation at some points is 350 feet; 

And there are very few mosquitoes. 

These arc facts easily demonstrable. Equally is it true 
that very many persons who in New York and Brooklyn have 

[22] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

been troubled with throat and bronchial difficulties have, on 
coming- here to live, found great relief, or been completely 
cured. The same thing is to be said in regard to certain forms 
of rheumatism. Children are exceptionally healthy here. 

No resident of Ridgewood would be likely 
^ ^° ., to exclaim, as did a landholder on Staten Island 

once, when asked whether there were any mos- 
quitoes there, 

"Mosquitoes! What are Those?" 

We know what mosquitoes are, and it is a subject on which 
we desire to be explicit, especially as it is one usually tabooed 
in publications of this kind relative to places in New Jersey. 

Aside from the now generally received theory that mosqui- 
toes originate malarial disorders, there is no denying that in 
many New Jersey, Long Island, and Staten Island towns they 
certainly do make life miserable, especially for children, who 
cannot play outdoors without being scarified by them ; while 
they are usually most annoying at the very hours when the 
commuter himself is at home from the city. 

Now there are some parts of Ridgewood where, sometimes, 
on some evenings, in some seasons, of some years, there are 
some mosquitoes — just as there are anywhere else in North 
America. 

But nowhere, at any time, in Ridgewood, are they the un- 
conquerable, unavoidable, unmitigated pest they are in many 
places not far distant, and which everybody knows, but which 
it might seem invidious to name. Sufficient to say, that one 
of the most important points in her favor — next, indeed, to 
health fulness — is one on which Ridgewood challenges com- 
parison, and invites investigation — fczvness of mosquitoes. 

The location and environment of Ridgewood being thus 
naturally conducive to good health, the forethought and en- 
terprise of her citizens in providing an unobjectionable water 
supply, and adequate sewer system, serve to keep it so. 

[23] 



R I D G E w D — New Jersey 



The public water supply is derived from five 

I^Icntp of artesian wells, sunk 210 feet below the level of 

iOrcf Ilcnt 

^gtPj the valley, at a point north of Harrison avenue; 

and from there pumped direct to consumers, the 
surplus going' to a half-million gallon reservoir situated on 
high land west of the railroad, thereby giving sufficient pres- 
sure to force a stream over any building" on the main street. 
To provide against accident, there are two complete and 
independent pumping outfits, each capable of elevating 1,000 
gallons a minute. Never has this underground source of 
supply been found inadequate, and it appears to be not only 
inexhaustible but steadily increasing. Five hundred thousand 
gallons a day are now used. The water coming from such a 
depth is free from any danger of surface drainage. It has 
a pleasant taste, and, percolating through red sandstone, is 
consequently soft — agreeable for bathing, and suitable for 
washing clothes. Coming direct from the great subterranean 
supply, distributed practically without storage, and nowhere 
subject to contamination, it is doubtful whether any commu- 
nity in the world has purer, or in any other way better, potable 
water than Ridgewood. The works started eight years ago 
with 300 "taps" ; there are to-day 1,180, showing an average 
annual increase of 150 takers. 

With the convenience of running water in the 
^I)E B^ufalic house, comes the necessity for adequate and sani- 
iSpstcm ^'^^T drainage. This all-important problem has 

apparently been satisfactorily solved by adoption 
of the system which first conducts the sewage to a large septic 
tank, in which the bulk of the organic matter is precipitated 
and retained, where it is subject to beneficent bacterial action, 
the overflow of water being conducted to filter beds of coke 
covered with crushed stone, and when there purified trans- 
mitted to a running stream. Fourteen and a half miles of 
sewer pipe, underlying the most thickly settled division of 

[24] 




UNITARIAN 
METHODIST 



BAPTIST 
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL 

RIDGEWOOD CHURCHES 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

the village and now including part of the west side, have been 
laid, and connection therewith is imperative. The system will 
be extended wherever and whenever increase in population 
makes it necessary. 

Upon such features as macadamized streets, 
gjjj^j, flagged sidewalks, electric lights, gas for light 

Jfraturcs and cooking, free carrier delivery of the mails, 

tcr-of' telephone exchange, local newspapers, fire and 



Course police protection, etc., over which some places 

make ado, it does not here seem necessary to 
dwell ; they are a matter-of-course in Ridgewood, as is every 
other improvement and advantage usually found in a wide- 
awake, progressive, and at the same time moderately con- 
servative community. 

A word or two should be said in relation to 

^he Dribesi the good roads of which Ridgewood is the cen- 

KifteetoooH ^^^'> '^"^ the delightful drives that they make 

possible and easy. They branch forth in every 

direction : 

Southward to Patersoa and the Falls of the Passaic, whose once 
famous beauty the most utilitarian of surroundings do not 
always and entirely hide; 

Eastward across the valley to the Hackensack River, and beyond 
to the Palisades, which form the misty boundary of our east- 
ern outlook; 

Southeasterly through Areola to the county seat ; 

Along the delightful Saddle River road, past the Joe Jefferson 
place, where the old comedian had his summer home; 

Up the much automobiled turnpike to Rockland County, N. Y., 
less than ten miles distant — ^to the Ramapo Pass, where 
Washington and his army encamped, and onward to Tuxedo; 

Westward over the hills to Franklin, Crystal, and Pompton 
Lakes, etc., etc. 

All the places mentioned and many more are within easy 
driving distance of Ridgewood, each route leading to some 
individual point of interest, each having its own peculiar charm. 

[26] 




REFORMED 
OLD PARAMUS 



RIDGEWOOD CHURCHES 



PRESBYTERIAN 
ROMAN CATHOLIC 



RiDGEwooD — New Jersey 



Within an 
hour's smart 
walking^ is the 
house still 
standing- where 
Aaron Burr 
wooed and won 
the w i d o w 
Prevost, and 
within the vil- 
lag-e limits is 
old P a r m u s 




IN TROSPECT PARK (sEE PAGE I4) 



(2ll)urcl)ei3 



church, where tradition (not history) says they were married. 
Ridgewood is well supplied with churches, 
all the leading denominations being represented. 
The Reformed church, organized in 1875, retains its original 
pastor, and has a pleasant edifice containing a new and ex- 
ceptionally fine organ. The seating capacity, however, has 
been outgrown, and a new building will soon be erected. 

At the Protestant Episcopal music is made a special feature 
of the service. The church is a dignified building of stone, and 
there is a near-by parish house, both recently erected. 

The Methodist church building is perhaps the finest in 

town, and the 
large congre- 
gation one of 
the most active 
in good works, 
It has recently 
entirely freed 
itself from 
debt. 

The Roman 
Catholic 




IN PROSPECT PARK (sEE PAGE I4) 



[28] 



Ridge. WOOD — New Jersey 

church is large and the services so well attended that a new 
edifice has been determined upon, and will probably soon 
be erected on the west side. 

The Unitarians, although a small body, have their own 
church building", which is a center for literary culture as well 
as religious thought. They have also recently extinguished 
their debt. 

The Baptist place of worship is altogether too small, and 
$25,000 has just been raised towards the immediate erection 
of a new one. 

The Presbyterians have an active and enthusiastic follow- 
ing, with a church edifice well over on the east side ; while 
Christian Scientists for the present assemble weekly in the 
public library, but look forward to a church for which a lot 
on the west side has been secured. 

To the family in which there are children the 
^m ©ubiic importance of living where there are good and 
ample school facilities cannot be overestnnated, 
and in this particular Ridgewood will compare favorably with 
any community that can be mentioned. The completion and 
occupation of four first-class grammar school buildings at a 
cost of $140,000, in addition to the high school erected a 
few years since at a cost of nearly $50,000, places the village 
in the first rank as far as educational accommodations are 
concerned. The new school buildings have been constructed 
with the idea of giving industrial training in a practical way, 
the equipment and arrangement of rooms being specially 
adapted to that end, thus completing accommodations for the 
demands of modern education. 

The kindergarten rooms are the delight of the little ones. 
The primary and grammar schools give a complete and thor- 
ough course of instruction; while the high school, thoroughly 
equipped with chemical, physical, botanical, and zoological 
laboratories, enables the pupil in a practical way to meet the 

[29] 



RiDGEWOOD 



New Jersey 



rccjiiircnicnts and (Icniands of modern science as well as those 
of the best technical schools and universities. The depart- 
ments of history, ancient and modern languages, mathematics 
and English, are fully organized and equipped to accomplish 
the distinct and definite purpose for which the American high 
school came into existence — the preparation of young men 
and women for American citizens. Five courses are offered : 
The classical, Latin-scientific, technical, general, and com- 
mercial. These furnish thorough preparation for all who 
wish to enter colleges, scientific or technical schools. Music, 




HARRISON AVENUE SCHOOL 



drawing, and physical training are a corporate part of each 
course. Manual training in wood-working, domestic science, 
sewing, printing, and basketry is carried on in a broad and 
practical way through both the grammar and high schools. 
Athletics is given a prominent place for both boys and girls. 
The athletic association puts annually a football, baseball, both 
boys' and girls' basketball, and track team into competition 
with other teams from the best high schools in the State. The 
school has both orchestra and glee clubs. Each school is pro- 

[31] 



RiDGEwooD — New Jersey 

vided with a library. The certificate of the high school is 
recognized by many of the leading colleges and universities, 
and by the regents of the University of the State of New 
York.' 

The present registration of pupils numbers nearly 1,400, 
with a teaching force of 34. 

Ridgewood is "social," or not social, very 
Social much in accordance with the taste and prefer- 

ences of those interested. The opportunities af- 
forded by the churches and their various organizations, by the 
lodges and fraternal societies, and by the clubs, for becoming 
acquainted, meeting frequently and making friends are many 
and quite generally enjoyed. On the other hand, if one pre- 
fers for any reason to forego society, it is easy to do so with- 
out exciting comment. The happy medium between the utter 
indifference of a large city and the annoying inquisitiveness of 
a small village is desirably maintained. 

The Ridgewood Golf Club, with two hun- 

'^^^^ftooop dred members, no doubt, owes something of its 
(Solf ellufa .' ' ., M- 

great popularity to the exceptional accessibility 

of its grounds ; the entrance thereto and the club house being 

only a half mile from the station, and nearly in the exact 

geographical center of the town. 

"The Royal and Ancient Game" is not a new institution 
in Ridgewood, for although the present course has been oc- 
cupied for only nine years, for about ten years previous, un- 
der its original corporate name of the Hohokus Golf Club, 
the organization developed and maintained a nine-hole course 
at Hobokus, being in its earliest days oblig'ed to import all 
its materials, as there was then no dealer in golf supplies in 
the United States. Naturally, therefore, it came about that 
the new course was laid out by seasoned players, and the 
ground being very adaptable, it is a very good one. 

There are but nine holes, though the acreage would permit 

[32] 



R I D G E W D 



New Jersey 



about eighteen. The "fair green" is wide. The playing" dis- 
tance, 3,100 yards, is divided into proper "golf distances," 
and every tee, hazard, and green has been carefully located. 
"Col. Bogey's" score is 42,-84 for the double round. 

A very comfortable club house not only furnishes needed 
quarters for players but afifords opportunity for parties, dances, 
and other social functions. Adjoining it are a set of four 
fine tennis courts, upon which, besides the continual play 
of the members, one "open" tournament is held each summer. 




THE RIDGEWOdl 



In the very center of its grounds, moreover, the Club has es- 
tablished a pond which affords a surface of about five acres 
of ice, for skating, hockey, and curling. The dues are $-")0 
per year, with privileges to the ladies and boys under sixteen 
years of age included in the member's family. 

The White Star Athletic Club is another 

Mii)ite Star well-managed and popular organization, being 

atl)Ietic €lub incorporated, and owning its own club house. 

It has a membership of 140, and has been es- 

[33] 



RiDGEWOOD 



New Jersey 



tablished about I-') years. It has a gymnasium, bowling alley, 
billiard room, parlors, etc., and is in every way well-equipped 
for the purpose for which it is designed. The initiation fee 
is $5 ; dues $10 a year, payable quarterly. 

The Y. M. C. A. occupies its own new build- 

l^ounc g^cn'g ing- on Oak street, recently erected at a cost, 

issodSn including land, of $23,000, and entirely devoted 

to the work, in which the gymnasium plays an 

important i)art. A competent physical director is in charge of 




CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION 



that department, and a general secretary also gives his entire 
time to the institution. There is a considerable amount of 
apparatus which is being- added to from time to time; also 
several shower baths, a swimming pool ; two bowling alleys ; 
two pool tables, and a number of other games contribute to 
the sociability of the pleasant rooms. From early spring till 
severe cold weather the contiguous athletic field, with tennis 
courts, is in almost constant use. The commodious assembly 
room is used for religious meetings, lectures and entertain- 

[34] 



Ridge \\' ood — New Jersey 

ments. An active ladies' auxiliary gives frequent evidence 
of the general interest taken in this enterprise for the de- 
velopment and fostering of strong-, virile Christianity in our 
young men and boys. The membership, open to any boy or 
man in town, numbers over 300. Fees: For seniors, $10; 
intermediate, $5 : junior, $3. 




THE NEW HOHOKUS STATION (UPPER RIDGEWOOD) 

Among other org-anizations are a Masonic 
®^^". . Lodge, Odd Fellows Lodge, Royal Arcanum, 

Knights of Honor, and Junior Order of Ameri- 
can Mechanics. There is also a Photographers' Club, a Dra- 
matic Club, one or two Musical Societies, a Woman's Club, 
and a Ladies' Village Improvement Association, the latter 
supporting a free public library ; also The Relief Society of 
Ridgewood and Vicinity. 

[35] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

Ridgewood has two Building and Loan Asso- 
■BuilBinc anU ciations. Both are managed wisely, economic- 
ciationg ' ^^l^' ^^^^^ satisfactorily. There are no high- 
salaried officers, no expensive rents, none of the 
risks which are common to what are known as national asso- 
ciations. All the business done is strictly local, and there is 
no opportunity for anything but straightforward dealing. 
Hundreds of residents of Ridgewood are to-day owners of 
their homes, or in a way to be so, who would not have been 
so fortunate were it not for the system under which these 
associations conduct their business. 

With a lot paid for, a Building and Loan Association is 
willing usually to advance 80 per cent, of the actual cost of 
erecting a house. This 80 per cent, is paid back to the Asso- 
ciation by monthly payments for a period extending over ap- 
proximately 130 months. While a premium is paid for the 
use of the money, the dividends of the Association, generally 
exceeding 7 per cent., bring the net rate of interest down to 
about 4 per cent. Each monthly payment comprises a por- 
tion of the principal and a portion of the interest. At the ex- 
piration of 130 months, the party building a house through 
a Building and Loan Association owns his home free and 
clear. Meantime his monthly payments are likely to be less 
than the price of an ordinary flat in New York or Brooklyn. 

On the other hand, members who do not build, gain from 
the 7 per cent, dividends a much larger income than is paid on 
an equal amount by any other saving institution equally safe ; 
with privilege of withdrawal, or of borrowing at any time. 

Ridgewood 's Board of Trade has for its ob- 
^oarli of jects the promotion of tiade, the encouragement 

of intercourse between business men, the im- 
provement of facilities for freight and passenger transporta- 
tion, the correction of abuses, the diffusion of information re- 

[36] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 

lating- to Ridgewood, and the promotion and development of 
the commercial, industrial, and material interests of the vil- 
lage. More than merely its name indicates does the Board 
of Trade concern itself with the sesthetical welfare of the 
place, as is illustrated by its engagement of the civic improve- 
ment expert, Mr. Charles Mulford Robinson, to make a study 
of ways in which Ridgewood can be made more beautiful and 
attractive. His report, also printed by the board, is a pamphlet 
of far-reaching importance, making many practical suggestions 
which it is hoped will be eventually carried out. 

Acting upon one of these, the village gov- 
^"h If ^''^ ernment has taken steps preparatory to acquir- 
ing land for a Park driveway along the Hohokus 
brook; and will, no doubt, even if immediate large outlays 
are not made, take action whereby Mr. Robinson's very valu- 
able ideas may assume shape in the not distant future. 

Acquisition by the village of the open space 
^ ' adjoining the present Erie station is also an out- 

growth of action taken by the Board of Trade; as is the move- 
ment on foot for a Municipal building; and while, of neces- 
sity, many projected improvements must wait upon the long- 
delayed action of the Erie railroad towards an adequate, safe 
and convenient station, there is no question that in time they 
will be made. 

The growth of Ridgewood has a typical illus- 
a iE^pitnl tration in the progress made by the First Na- 
tional Bank, which opened its doors for business 
July 24, 1899, when the village population numbered about 
2,500. The cashier of the bank has furnished a statement 
showing the amount of money on deposit at the close of busi- 
ness on December 31, 1899, and on the last day of each suc- 
ceeding year, as follows : 

[37] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 



December 31, 1899 $82,438.17 

1900 128,688.94 

" 1901 159,445.00 

1902 253,081.76 

1903 283,816.63 

" 1904 415,450.59 

" 1905 502,877.21 

" 1906 564,579-94 

" 1907 577,097.04 

" 1908 593,241.16 

" 1909 652,936.51 




FIRST N.\TH)i\AL liA.Nk 



Thus it will be seen that the bank's gains have not been 
by leaps and bounds, but in a steady, healthy ratio with the 
prosperity of the town. 

The bank began business in a small rented building", and 
was burned to the ground eight months later. A temporary 
ofifice was secured, and at 9 o'clock the morning- after the fire, 

[38] 



R I D G E w D — New Jersey 

business was resumed as usual, the books and cash having been 
saved. 

The question of the bank's success having passed the ex- 
perimental stage, the directors now seized an opportunity to 
display their well-known enterprise and foresight, by purchas- 
ing the best corner for their purpose in Ridgewood, and put- 
ting up the fine, commodious building now occupied by the 
bank, having as tenants the Post-office, the Public Library, the 
well-appointed Masonic Lodge of Ridgewood, and several 
dwelling f^ats. 

The bank and its building have met the universal com- 
mendation of the people of Ridgewood, adding, as it does, 
tone and dignity to the to\vn, and placing all banking con- 
veniences within their reach. Its money vault is built on 
modern lines, having safe deposit boxes and storage facilities 
for valuable packages, large or small, which are extensively 
used and much appreciated. 

Another very notable sign of the steady prog- 
KiUcetoooli ress and substantial development of Ridgewood, 
dompanp ^^ ^^^^ unqualified success of the Ridgewood Trust 

Company, whose new Banking House for beauty 
of design and perfect adaptation to the uses for which it is 
intended, has few equals this side of New York City. The 
corner on which it stands is one block from the Erie road — 
just far enough to escape its dust, smoke and noise, yet near 
enough for the commuter to make his deposit without missing 
his approaching train, when he hears its signal up the road ; 
and to facilitate that convenience the Trust Company's doors 
are wide open at 8 o'clock every morning to welcome all comers, 
whether to deposit or draw their money. 

First opening for business about three years ago, and al- 
though soon face to face with a jianic that withered and blasted 
many an older institution, the Ridgewood Trust Company in 
the midst of the flurry actually added $55,000 to its capital 

[39] 



Ridge WOOD — New Jersey 




)n TRUST COMPANY 



and surplus, and made thousands of dollars by purchasing 
good bonds at low prices when others were forced to sell. 

The broad and deep foundations laid by the managers of 
this Company to facilitate its certain expansion, show better 
than anything else could, their faith in the future of Ridge- 
wood. The vault in the banking room makes the famous 
den of Giant Despair seem like a parrot cage in comparison. 
Its outer door alone weighs 14,000 pounds, and its joints are 
fluid tight, while its compartments within, are capacious 
enough to house the securities and cash, of a business of many 
millions. The safety boxes and storag'e facilities are perfec- 
tion itself, and are evidently intended to make Ridge wood a 
barren field for burglars. Assured safety, with attractive in- 
terest rates, will bring out the "old stocking hoards," and 
make them earn something for their timid owners. 

Further evidence of the growth of Ridge- 
wood is shown in the increase of business in the 
post-office. Dn November ], 1897, when the 

[40] 



©osit=2Dfficc 
!Statii3tic0 



Ridge \v o o d — N p: w Jersey 

present postmaster assumed his duties, there were eight mails 
a day. At the present time there are twenty-four, and a Sun- 
day dispatch. The mail is delivered and collected in the vil- 
lage by five carriers ; and there are also' two rural carriers who 
cover about forty-four miles of territory. Including the post- 
master, the force now numbers fourteen, with an additional 
carrier expected in the near future. 

KiUgrtDODli'ja ^'^^ ^^^^ edition of this booklet was issued 

(Brototl) anil in March, 1907. The following summary of 

in tbc K^aiat facts indicates to some extent what the past three 

€;i)rcc Prars years have brought to Ridgewood : 

Tzi.'o Hundred and Ninety N'ctv Houses. From Jan. i, 
1907 to Jan. I, 1910 the number of building permits 
issued was 313, of which 290 were for dwellings — - 
practically an increase of about 100 houses a year. 

Tzvo Thousand More Inhabitants (Estimated). The last 
census taken in 1905. showed a population of 3,980, an 
increase in five years of 1,295, or 48 per cent, over 
that of 1900. Directory publishers estimate the popu- 
lation to-day at not less than 6,000. 

Four Hundred Additional Pupils in the Public schools, the 
total number registered being 1,400. 

Three Hundred and Eighty-Three More Telephones in 
the Ridgewood Exchange. Jan. i, 1908 there were 
587; Jan. I, 1909 there were 720; Jan. i, 1910 there 
were 970. 

T7V0 Hundred More Commuters (Estimated). The num- 
ber varies from month to month, and tickets being 
sold at both ends of the route, an c.\;act statement can 
not be given, but a reliable estimate makes the average 
number at present 800, an increase of 200 over three 
years ago. 

Four Hundred More Electrie Meters, as reported by the 
Public Service Corporation. 

Five Hundred and Eighty AVtc Water-Takers, and three 
•^" i «J»-. hiindrcd thousand additional gallons of water daily. 

Three and a Half Miles of Additional Seiver Pi/^e, includ- 
ing extension of the system to the west side. 

[41] 



R I D G E ^^' D — New Jersey 



The Relaying of Ridgczvood Avenue with Tarvia from tlie 

station to Van Dien Avenue, and eleven and one-half 

miles of new macadam, over twenty miles in all. 
The Phhza Iiiifroz'eiiteiit, preliminary to the projected new 

station of the Erie railroad. 
Iinpnn'ed Sehool Faeilities. Necessary financial provision 

for a fourth grammar school (on Harrison avenue), 

and the enlargement of two others. 
First Steps Tozvard the Park Driveivay, along the Hoho- 

kus Brook — preliminary, as is fondly hoped, to the 

creation of a still more beautiful Ridgewood. 
An Electrie Railroad, so far as grading and track-laying is 

concerned, for immediate opening of a new route to 

Paterson, Hackensack and the Hudson River. 
The y. M. C. A. Btiilding, erected at a cost, including 

grounds, of $23,000. 
Definite Plans for Two Ne-zv Church EdiHees, with two 

more in prospect. 
The Ridgezi'ood Trust Company, and its noble building. 
The A^'Ti' Erie Station (HoJrokus) , for Upper Ridgewood. 
IVastena Park. Terrace Drive, Prospect Park, Upper 

Ridgezi'ood and Ehnzaood Developments — all started 

within three years. 

In 1906. the total valuation of property in 

an Jncrcasr Ridgewood, as taken from the assessor's books, 

in Paluationis .... ,,,.,,. , , 

of $2,243,341 nicltiding land, bnilding-s and personal, was 

$2,959,849. The increase for the past three 

years is shown to be as follows : 

1907 190S igog 

Land $1,258,285 $1,491,126 $2,457,551 

Buildings 1,938,275 2.535,500 2,892,525 

Personal 324,975 354.7SO 434,8oo 

Total $3-521,535 $4v38i.376 $5,764,876 

Increase in three years, $2,243,341. 

In connection with this showing it should be 

MUl)oIIp borne in mind that Ridgewood is wholly resi- 

Kcsjlicntial ,.,.,,,, . '=' . , . , 

dential. W e have no factories or other mdus- 

[42] 



R I D G E w D — New Jersey 

trial enterprises employing large numbers of operatives : and, 
with all due respect, none are desired. Hundreds of other 
places invite and encourage such industries, and to those 
places we are perfectly willing they should go. Ridgewood 
is content with being a "home" and not a "workshop." All 
OUT traditions are to that effect — all our efforts in that di- 
rection. 

Right here it is worth noting how generally the merely 
"tenement" idea is eliminated, "flats" are almost unknown ; 
with a few minor exceptions over stores, etc., all dwellings are 
disconnected; there are no "rows" of houses — in fact, few 
double houses, for, while well enough in a way, it doesn't 
seem to be Ridgewood way, which, almost without excep- 
tion, is — 

"For One Family — One Roof." 

Land, too, is not yet so valuable that ample room cannot 
be spared for lawn, or garden, or a few fruit trees, or play- 
ground for the children ; and, much as we desire the prosperity 
of Ridgewood, we hope it never will be. There is no necessity 
here for "huddling" and there will be none when Ridgewood 
contains five times her present population. 

Our natural bounds are not restricted by village or borough 
lines, and the time is soon coming when in valley and on high- 
land, and with nothing to indicate where Ridgewood leaves 
oft", and Glen Rock, or Hohokus, or Midland Park begins, 
dooryard will touch dooryard for three miles either way. 

No one who has any adequate idea of what the congestion 
of population in New York City already means, and of the 
enormous rate at which it is increasing, can stand where he 
can overlook the village of Ridgewood and its environment, 
note its perfect adaptation for home building, and its acces- 
sibility to the great metropolis, and not be convinced that the 
residential development of this locality has only just begun. 

The Board of Trade is not desirous of unduly enhancing 

[43] 



RJDGEWOOD — New Jersey 

land values — least of all to increase a speculative boom in 
real estate. It seeks only the normal growth and substantial 
betterment of the community by attracting to it those who will 
themselves take a proprietary interest in advancing the cause 
of good citizenship, and do their share in maintaining a good 
neighborhood. 

To such, however, we would say that with conditions as 
they are, and the future such as seems most likely, it is almost 
inconceivable that either available building lots, or acreage, in 
this vicinity will ever be lower in price than they are at present, 
while there is every reason to anticipate their early and ma- 
terial advance. 

We ask for no snap judgment. On the contrary, we 
especially ask those to whom this booklet is addressed to take 
all the time they can afford for intelligent comparison, believ- 
ing that the more thorough the investigation the more con- 
vincing will be the conclusion that within fifty miles of New 
York, in any direction, no suburb so satisfactorily answers the 
questions, "Where to Live?" — "Where Bring up the Chil- 
dren?"- — and "Where to Make the Home?" as does The In- 
corporated Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County, New 
Jersey. 



Address all letters of inquiry to the Secretary of the Ridgewood Board of 
Trade, Ridgewood, N. J. 

[44] 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



.(:■'.• 




i* i;' 




